Delete the word diet from your vocabulary!

People assume, just because I'm "shaping up," that I'm on a diet; they often ask me what "diet" I'm on and wait for me to tell them I'm "on" Atkins or South Beach or riding some other crazy-fad diet train. So most are surprised when I tell them that I'm not on any diet and, in fact, that I don't like that word at all. See, I think the real start of the success I've had so far with weight loss was really understanding that I had to permanently change the way I eat. By definition, a diet lasts for a certain time period: You're either on one or you're not. And knowing they're finite makes their terms more restrictive--and actually impossible to stick to for a lifetime. So instead, I took baby steps (I'm a big believer in those!) to change my bad eating habits (I used to have stock in Diet Coke; had the 24-hour diner on speed-dial; ordered two or three margaritas at happy hour and wondered why I wasn't losing any weight). Once I was able to pinpoint those fat traps, I could start to make changes I could live with. So instead of vowing to never step foot in a Starbucks again, I changed my twice-daily whole-milk venti latte order to a grade coffee with steamed soy milk and cinnamon. The best thing about eating healthfully and being really disciplined about my food choices is that I don't feel deprived. And let's be real: What's the likelihood of sticking to any shape-up plan if we feel like we're serving jail time?

What's your take on the whole "diet" thing? Does it help you stick to more disciplined ways of eating when you know you can relax a little once you reach your goals? Or are you trying to make lifetime changes too?

P.s. Sorry for the late post... I started my new job here at Glamour today! Here's a pic of my new desk. Wish me luck! :- )